PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
From Fresh to Salt Waters: First Data about the Invasiveness of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in Mediterranean Marine Waters
Nota, A.; Santovito, A.; Gattelli, R.; Tiralongo, F. From Fresh to Salt Waters: First Reports of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in Mediterranean Marine Waters. Hydrobiology2024, 3, 1-10.
Nota, A.; Santovito, A.; Gattelli, R.; Tiralongo, F. From Fresh to Salt Waters: First Reports of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in Mediterranean Marine Waters. Hydrobiology 2024, 3, 1-10.
Nota, A.; Santovito, A.; Gattelli, R.; Tiralongo, F. From Fresh to Salt Waters: First Reports of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in Mediterranean Marine Waters. Hydrobiology2024, 3, 1-10.
Nota, A.; Santovito, A.; Gattelli, R.; Tiralongo, F. From Fresh to Salt Waters: First Reports of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in Mediterranean Marine Waters. Hydrobiology 2024, 3, 1-10.
Abstract
Background: The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), native to the United States and northern Mexico, has been introduced in many countries worldwide. The species has a remarkable invasiveness, due to its high reproductive rate and to its ability to tolerate broad ranges of water parameters like salinity. Nevertheless, no consistent observations of P. clarkii have been reported in the marine environment until now. Methods: Through the observations of a personal acquaintance and of two volunteers who published photos of the species on Facebook marine biology and fishing groups, we collected data showing the presence of the crayfish within marine ecosystems. Results: P. clarkii has been spotted in three different localities, in two of which observations are recurrent. The species can live miles from the nearest freshwater stream, and can colonise the depths up to 20 meters. Conclusions: The multiple observations of P. clarkii collected in our study uncover a persistent presence of the species within some marine areas, rather than its mere sporadic occurrence. As resistance to increasing salinities is influenced by multiple genes, genetic admixture between genetically-differentiated individuals coming from distinct geographical origins could have brought together different salinity-resistance genes, leading to the formation of these resilient phenotypes.
Biology and Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Zoology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
